The Past is Present
by B L Lindley Anderson
Summary: The speeder crash that caused Obi-Wan's amnesia looks like sabotage. But was it meant for Obi-Wan or someone else? NOTE: This fic was written prior to the publication of Jedi Apprentice book #7


"The Past is Present"

sequel to Remembrance

by B. L. Lindley-Anderson

The door chime sounded and Obi-Wan went to press the button that would open the electronic door. A tall muscular man in a brown hooded robe stood in the corridor.

"Master," Obi-Wan said in surprise. He was not used to being visited by the Jedi. Usually the apprentice would attend his master when there was business to be discussed.

"Obi-Wan, I'm sorry to bother you at night, but if you have a moment," Qui-Gon replied.

"Of course. Please come in and have a seat."

Qui-Gon Jinn crossed the room, sat and watched Obi-Wan expectantly as he took a seat nearby.

"Something's up, I can tell."

"Very perceptive, Padawan. Yes, something is 'up' as you say. We have received a communication from Baroon Colony Number Two on Jastin."

The apprentice's heart sped up at that pronouncement. Only a few short days ago he had been on that planet, wandering around with amnesia—no memory of who he was, where he was or how he got there. The only clue he'd had about what happened was a wrecked speeder that was next to him when he awoke. Qui-Gon had been able to locate him but the padawan didn't even know his own master. The Jedi had had to use the Force to help Obi-Wan relive a painful part of his life, hoping the strong emotions would trigger some memory. It had worked. Obi-Wan had regained most of his memory. He still didn't know how he had come to wreck the speeder. The officials on Jastin had been going over the speeder to see if they could determine if there had been a mechanical failure. Apparently they had found an answer to that question.

Obi-Wan leaned forward, "Yes?"

"They had almost given up. The speeder was so damaged that they had little hope of being able to find out anything of use from it, but one of their technicians wanted to have one more look…and he found what he thinks to be evidence of someone tampering with the speeder."

"Tampering with it?" Obi-Wan said incredulously. "But why? I wasn't there for very long. How did they even have time?"

"Slow down," Qui-Gon admonished. "We don't know yet that it was meant for you to have that speeder. You made an emergency landing—you weren't expected. It's quite likely that it was intended for someone else to have that particular vehicle."

"But how do we know?"

"I got this information from Yoda just now. The governor of the colony had relayed it to him. Yoda wants us to go to Jastin to see the evidence for ourselves. If someone was trying to harm you with this, then the council wants to know about it and whether it was an attack on you specifically or on the Jedi. I know this is short notice, but we will be leaving in the morning. Preparations are being made now. So I will say good night so you can get some rest." Obi-Wan seemed to be in a daze. "Is something wrong, Padawan?"

"Hmm? Oh, no, nothing Master. It's just that I wasn't expecting to go back there anytime soon and there are some strong memories and emotions associated with the whole ordeal."

"I understand. However, you must not be afraid to face your feelings. Embrace them. You will learn much of yourself from them. Get some rest, Obi-Wan."

"Yes, Master."

As the transport dropped through the atmosphere to Baroon Colony Number Two, Obi-Wan tried to concentrate on his immediate responsibilities in assisting to land the ship. But he couldn't totally put his last visit to this planet out of his mind. The fear on waking to find he couldn't remember anything of his past was still fresh, still painful. He also recalled those days of wandering in the rough, rolling hills—no idea where to go, the pain from his injuries. The apprentice shook his head to rid him of the memories and returned his concentration to the landing procedure they were just entering.

Master Qui-Gon could sense the unease in his padawan. It was to be expected; he had been through a rough experience and had to deal with the remnants the incident had thrust upon him. He only hoped he could help his apprentice to come to terms with it.

The two Jedi had traveled in this type of transport often in their missions together and had made many smooth landings. Few words passed between them as they went through their paces, knowing the routine by rote and sensing each other's reactions. The transport came to rest very gently on its landing pads…the result of many hours of shared experience.

The Jedi disembarked from the transport and were met by an uniformed officer sent by the governor of the colony. Without a word, the officer escorted them to a vehicle, which he chauffeured to a modest house near the center of the outpost. It was in somewhat run down condition, as were all the buildings here. Qui-Gon wondered if that obvious neglect was what contributed to the oblivious attitude that seemed to be reflected in every face he looked into.

An aide led the way to the governor's office, barely offering to speak to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. Again the insensible manner. It did not instill an attitude of trust into the Jedi. The aide burst into the governor's office with no knock, and said no word of introduction but merely closed the door on the way out.

The governor looked up. "I am Lod Ros, governor of the colony," he said as he stood and slowly extended his hand to the Jedi master.

"I am Qui-Gon Jinn and this is my apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"This is the one you were looking for? Well, I'm glad you were able to find him. Is he all right now? Sounds like he had a rough time of it here." The words were a tired monotone.

"I think he has come through it fine." Qui-Gon gave a small smile as he glanced at his padawan, remembering the relief that washed over him when he realized Obi-Wan had regained his memory. "I was told you had some information for us on the speeder that Obi-Wan was piloting when he had his accident."

"Yes, please have a seat." The governor sifted through the pile on his desk, finally selected a datapad, and sat down. "One of the technicians found an open circuit in the electrical system of the speeder."

"An open circuit?" Obi-Wan repeated. "We were told you had evidence of tampering. That could have happened easily in many ways. Are you sure it was deliberate?"

"Yes," the governor declared. "It was deliberate. The wire had been cut into and a circuit interrupter soldered inline." He reached into his desk drawer and removed an envelope, which he opened and emptied on his desk. "See this. This red wire should be continuous, but someone cut it and soldered this into it," he pointed at a small black cylinder. "When current flowed into this it broke the connection. The open circuit led to a power failure."

"But," Qui-Gon interjected. "That would have caused a power failure as soon as the system was engaged. Why didn't that happen?"

"My explanation was too hasty. It wasn't just the electrical power to the engine, which caused the circuit interrupter to kick in. When the navigation computer was powered on, the additional current load activated the interrupter. It was set to activate at a particular current level. As soon as the interrupter caused an open circuit there was a power failure in the entire electrical system. Your apprentice probably lost control because he lost power—and the ability to control the speeder."

"One more question—why wouldn't he have activated the navigation computer as soon as he started off?"

"Probably because there's only one road out of the colony. Not much need for the navcomp until you get further out. That's just my speculation." The governor leaned back in his chair. "That's the best I can come up with. If you want to speculate, I'm open to your ideas on the subject."

"I was not questioning your line of reasoning, Governor—just trying to make sure all things had been considered. It's obvious someone has tampered with the wiring." Qui-Gon ran his fingertips through his dark but grey-flecked beard. "The real question is why…and was this intended for Obi-Wan—or someone else."

"I agree," Governor Ros said. "I've been instructed by the Chancellor of Baroon to give you the fullest possible cooperation. However, I don't know how I can help you. How do you intend to proceed on this?"

"I'm not certain yet," Qui-Gon answered. "I guess the first thing we need to figure out is, how much traffic has there been since Obi-Wan was last here?"

The administrator chuckled, "There is no traffic except for the occasional supply ship from Baroon. Why?"

"I'm wondering if the person who did the wiring job is still here? Has anyone left the planet on any of these supply ships?"

"I doubt it. That would have been a big deal around here. We have so little coming and going, you know. Besides with the travel regs, I would have known if someone had been leaving. Baroon is quite a stickler for that stuff. Nothing or no one comes or goes without their prior approval."

"Unless someone stowed away," Obi-Wan interjected.

"Well, that is a possibility," allowed Ros. "But, help them if they were discovered on Baroon. There's a stiff penalty for that." Ros clasped his hands behind his head and stared at the two Jedi. "It's possible that whoever did it is gone…but I kind of doubt that. This place is almost like a leper colony to Baroon. I don't know why they even put a settlement here in the first place. But anyway, now they treat us like stepchildren. Our supplies are carefully rationed out to us. No travel back and forth. They are quite strict about it. I don't know why…but I do know that your saboteur is most likely still here. So now what?"

"Who owned that speeder?" Qui-Gon asked.

"It was government property. Speeders are in small supply. Most belong to my office."

"So, do you know who would have had access to them?"

"Well…." Ros leaned on his desk and locked eyes with the Jedi master. "I know who was _supposed_ to have access to them. Whether that is who really had access to them is another question entirely."

"What does that mean," Obi-Wan asked.

"I've already told you that we are a neglected group out here. My security force is very small. We have to act on a hierarchy system. Whatever is most important gets the most attention. If my men had to leave the garage unguarded to take care of something more important…well, that's just the way it is," Ros shrugged as he answered.

"You seem awful cavalier about it," Obi-Wan rejoined.

"Yeah, well, that speeder could just have easily been meant for me—not you. I have to live with it too. In case you haven't noticed, people aren't happy around here," the governor snarled. "There's little I can do about it. I've tried. These people would have more reason to kill me than you. To be honest with you, I'm glad I wasn't in that speeder when it failed."

Obi-Wan drew himself up to reply but Qui-Gon interrupted, "This is getting us no where. We need to be working together if we hope to solve this. Whoever this was intended for, we need to find out who did it."

A silent moment passed as ruffled feathers calmed. "You're right, of course," Ros answered. "But it could, literally, have been anyone in this colony. How are we going to figure out who did it?"

"By a planned methodical investigation. If that means investigating everyone here, then so be it," Qui-Gon said calmly. "If the sabotage was meant for you, then we'll be helping you too. I suggest we start with the people who have the most access to the speeders—the guards, maintenance crew and so forth."

"Very well," Ros sighed. "I'm dubious about your chances of finding the guilty party, but I pledge my support to your efforts."

"That's all we need, Governor, your authority behind our efforts."

The following morning found Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan near the grounds of the governor's house to question the maintenance crew. The two Jedi found the men suspicious and uncooperative. Qui-Gon wasn't sure if it was just because the two were off-worlders or that they were Jedi.

"Do you think they might be more comfortable being questioned by one of the other colonists?" Obi-Wan suggested.

"I'm not sure that will help, since we'll still be around. And I'm not sure whom we can trust. Ros doesn't seem very enthusiastic about this investigation so I'm not even sure I would trust him to recommend someone to help us. I think we are just going to have to do this on our own." Qui-Gon paused to think, pushing away a stray strand of hair that was tickling his ear. "The whole attitude of this colony seems to be one of distrust and concealment. Maybe this speeder incident was aimed at the governor."

"That makes more sense. From what we found out, I wasn't here for long before…so who would have had time or opportunity to tamper with the wiring?"

"If that is so then we can expect little cooperation from these people. They are trying to murder their leader. We may have to do some investigating on our own rather than relying on questioning these people."

"Where do we start?"

Qui-Gon looked around the area to get an idea of its layout. "Let's do the obvious, start with the garage."

Because they were already the objects of much talk and many suspicious glances, Qui-Gon decided it might be better if they explored the garage when there was no one around to watch their every move or interfere. Therefore they continued to try to interview workers until their lunch break came. The area emptied quickly, as if the workers couldn't wait to be away from the place. Qui-Gon was relieved at the luck of having the locale totally to themselves and wasted no time in getting inside.

It was exactly what it appeared to be…a storage shed for the speeders. There were 4 speeders parked inside. The small building was a mess of grease, parts, rags, and tools lying about—left wherever they had last been used.

"First let's have a look at these other speeders to see if there are any obvious signs of tampering," Qui-Gon almost whispered. "You start over there and I'll take this one."

Obi-Wan opened the outer covering to the engine compartment of the nearest vehicle and began looking it over. Speeder mechanics was not one of the things he had been taught at the Jedi temple, still, if the meddling was as obvious as the wire Governor Ros had shown them then it should be easy enough to spot. _Just look for anything out of the ordinary_ he told himself.

Qui-Gon was following a similar philosophy at his end of the storage building—looking for any wires that had been cut, any work that looked out of the ordinary—shoddy workmanship, rushed repairs. _But_ he reminded himself_ with the attitude of these people that may not necessarily be a sign of something amiss. It may be the rule of their work._ There was little else for them to go on he thought as he glanced up to see his apprentice's progress.

Meeting in the middle of the garage some time later, the two Jedi were no closer to an answer—and only had more questions.

"Master, if this is typical of the repair work they do, we'll never be able to figure out if any of this is sabotage," Obi-Wan said in frustration. "They all look like they've had sloppy repairs."

"You're right," Qui-Gon acknowledged. "It makes me wonder about the wiring the governor showed us."

"Do you think it was just a bad repair and not deliberate?" the apprentice queried.

"I'm not sure anymore. It could have been an accident. Maybe it was supposed to be a legitimate repair and the interrupter was put in by mistake."

"So we're back to square one," the padawan replied glumly.

"Hey! What are you two doing in here?" a voice growled from behind them. The two Jedi turned to see a tall thin man in a soiled jumpsuit coming their way.

The elder Jedi began, "I'm Qui-Gon…"

"I know who you are," the man retorted sharply. "I asked you what you were doing in here."

"We are conducting an investigation—with the governor's approval," Qui-Gon said simply.

"Oh…you think you can just come waltzing in where ever you like, when ever you like just because you have the governor's approval?"

"You don't place much stock in his approval, do you?" Obi-Wan queried.

"What are you implying?" the tall figure whirled toward Obi-Wan.

"Nothing. I was just asking a question."

"Yeah. I know…a loaded question. Well, I've heard the talk—that someone is trying to off Ros. Don't look at me. I'm the one who gave that wire to the governor. You don't think I'd give him something that would point in my direction if I were the one who did it, do you?"

"You're the one who found the interrupter?" Qui-Gon broke in.

"Yeah, it was me, so?"

"I'm interested. The governor said that the investigation of the speeder was about to be abandoned…but one of the techs wanted one more look and came up with the interrupter. Was that you?"

"Yeah," the man replied suspiciously. "And?"

"When everyone else had given up. What made you want to take one more look? Did you suspect something?"

"Yeah, I did. I suspected a lousy job. Most of these guys do only what they can get by with. I figured somebody overlooked something."

"We were looking at the other speeders," Obi-Wan replied. "Is that their normal repair work?"

"Yeah," the voice was filled with disgust.

"So how do you know that the interrupter was put in on purpose? How do you know it wasn't just shoddy workmanship?"

"Two reasons. These guys are sloppy, but they're not stupid. It would be hard to get that part confused with another. Interrupters are made the way they are for a reason—to stand out. Accidentally putting one into a circuit could be very dangerous—as we've all seen. So they are made to be easy to distinguish." He reached into his jumpsuit pocket and pulled out a long narrow brown cylinder, which he pushed between his lips while he searched with his other hand for an igniter.

"And the second reason," Qui-Gon prompted.

"You've talked to some of these men," Jumpsuit said around his smoke. "They aren't happy here. They want to go home. But we have to earn points to be able to go back to Baroon. It's no great secret that they think an outbreak of anarchy would be the downfall of this already decrepit colony. I don't doubt that someone _is_ trying to kill Ros."

"That's a serious accusation," Qui-Gon pointed out.

"And I'm serious in making it."

"In that case, can we count on your assistance?"

"On one condition," the tall man leaned against the nearest speeder and folded his arms across his chest.

"What's that," Qui-Gon asked warily.

"That you get me off this rock. If I help you and it turns out that someone is trying to off the governor, then my life won't be worth spit."

"I agree with you—and I certainly wouldn't leave you in a position where your life was in jeopardy."

Jumpsuit spewed out a cloud of acrid smelling smoke and grinned, "We're partners then."

"If we are partners, may I have your name?"

"Oh, sorry. I'm Mare Teum. Shall we have a look at these speeders then?"

"You suspect someone is trying to kill the governor and yet you have not looked over these other vehicles?" Obi-Wan said disbelievingly.

"As I said, my life wouldn't be worth spit. By myself I'm nothing. Mare turned to face the apprentice and grinned, "But now I'm not alone anymore."

Other workers began streaming back from their lunchtime. They were very interested in the two visitors in the brown robes and didn't try to hide their curiosity.

"Hey, Mare! What's up?" A short, stocky man in the same type of a soiled jumpsuit ambled up staring the two Jedi up and down.

"Why don't you go on back to work, Tork? You're already behind schedule," Mare said without looking up.

Tork didn't return to work but kept advancing. He came to lean against the speeder in such a way as to partially obscure Mare's view. The tall man raised himself up to his full height and stared down into the round tan face before him. "Tork, I'm tired of having to write you up every month. You know the routine…you're close to being canned. If I were you I'd be trying to fulfill my responsibilities."

"We have a right to know what's going on around here," Tork protested. "We don't work in a vacuum. There's rumors flying and we have a right to know."

"The only right you have is to get back to work and earn the money they give you." Mare gently shoved Tork aside and continued his inspection of the speeder.

Tork opened his mouth to reply, thought about it and turned to go. Qui-Gon watched out of the corner of his eyes. Tork was gathering some other men around for a discussion. "You weren't just joking about your life being in danger."

"Well," Mare replied as he poked around the engine compartment. "It didn't take this for my life to be in danger. Since I became their boss and expected them to do their jobs, they've had it in for me."

Obi-Wan was surprised, "Would they commit murder so easily."

Mare glanced up at him and grinned, "No, that's why I'm still here. But I've got my scars to show they aren't afraid to push me around."

"We don't have to be so open in what we do," Qui-Gon replied. "We can do this after hours."

"Doesn't matter," Mare said. "People are so paranoid around here that there's always someone on the lookout." He stood upright and closed the access door to the engine. "They would probably find out someway. You're right, as I suspected; there are a lot of sloppy repairs. I try to keep an eye out, but it's hard to watch every wire they splice, every solder they make. Mostly I try to determine through system tests if the thing is working. If it is, then I let it go. Unfortunately that's they way this job is. Now I know why the last guy quit." Mare's grey eyes clouded over. "Tork and his crony Rook keep me…"

Obi-Wan broke in, "What was that other name?"

"Rook, why?"

"Oh, nothing. I just misunderstood you," Obi-Wan said but Qui-Gon could sense an unease in the padawan.

At the end of the day after everyone else had gone, Mare slumped tiredly against one of the speeders. "I can't find anything that I would call sabotage—just shoddy repair jobs. That doesn't mean that there won't be failures from them—it just doesn't look as intentional as the circuit interrupter. And," Mare sighed deeply, "I haven't done the most in-depth investigation either. It would take days to really go over these vehicles completely. The interrupter was kind of obvious to find…so I guess I was counting on any other tampering to be not well hidden."

"I tend to agree with you. It doesn't appear that whoever did the other job tried to hide what they were doing. Do you know who specifically might be behind this?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Ha, it would be easier to answer who isn't. Every one of the men who work here—not just in the garage, but on the grounds of the governor's house, dislike Ros."

"I understand what you say about how unhappy they are, but why such strong dislike toward Ros himself?"

"Because he is the government of this colony, the representative of Baroon here—and that's really who they hate. Baroon has forgotten about us and won't let us come home." Mare locked eyes with the Jedi master. "If you really want to do something to help Ros, go to Baroon. Make them accountable for this colony. You'd not only help him, you'd help all of us." Looking away, defeat crept into his tone, "Anyway…it's not the governor personally…it's the office and what it represents. They'd hate anyone who sat in that office."

"Thank you very much for your help and the information. It has been most helpful…and a real education," Qui-Gon replied. "Now, I think maybe we'd better see you home. I don't have a warm feeling about some of your employees."

Mare waved dismissively, "I'm not worried about them. I'll be OK."

"I'd be happier if you would allow me this. I sense a lot of unrest. Besides there is our agreement."

Mare grinned, "Yeah, there is that."

Mare checked over the building and then locked up. "I don't live far away. I usually walk to work. It's easier than trying to procure a vehicle…or keep it from being stolen."

"It seems a nice night for a walk," Obi-Wan responded as he looked into the clear night sky shimmering with hundreds of sparkling diamonds.

"That's one nice thing about this place," Mare followed his gaze. "Not much light. You can see every star in the sky." He pointed at a larger spot of light. "There's Baroon," he said wistfully. "I'd give anything to go home."

Qui-Gon held up his pace to match that of Mace who had slowed down when he spotted his home planet. "But you are going home. Our agreement, remember?"

"Yeah," Mare forced a smile. "I keep forgetting about that."

"I assure you, I will not leave you here. I will not leave you in a place where you may be in danger," Qui-Gon emphasized. "Now, let's get you home."

They continued down the street and turned the corner. Suddenly a rock hit the building just inches from Mare's head. Qui-Gon grabbed him and pressed him toward the ground. "Did you see where it came from, Obi-Wan?"

"No, Master. But I think there's someone over there."

Qui-Gon followed the apprentice's pointing finger and reached out with his senses. As if in confirmation, another chunk of stone came rocketing out of the dark recess Obi-Wan had been pointing toward. Then a figure sprang out and charged down the street.

"I'll go, Master." Obi-Wan yelled over his shoulder as he began the pursuit.

"Be mindful, Padawan," Qui-Gon yelled after him as he helped Mare to his feet. "Come let's find some place safe for you. I need to accompany him."

Obi-Wan could hear the clatter of footsteps on the street to guide him. He kept a watch while he ran, though. He had a bad feeling and he wasn't so sure his target was alone. They were quickly coming to the edge of the small colony. The apprentice doubled his effort, hoping to catch the runner before he entered a tree- covered area beyond the settlement.

Just as Obi-Wan passed the last building a voice called out, "Well, well…you weren't afraid to come alone."

The apprentice froze in his tracks. That voice—familiar but no, it wasn't the same; it was different. But it sounded like…

"Imagine meeting you here, Oafy-Wan."

Now there was _no_ mistaking that hated nickname. Obi-Wan turned and there leaning against the building…Bruck!

Suddenly the apprentice was 12…almost 13 again…at the Jedi temple. His tormentor in those days was a fellow student, Bruck Chun. Obi-Wan's birthday was quickly approaching and if didn't get selected as padawan by a knight before then he would be sent to the agri-corps. Bruck was in the same situation…his birthday shortly after Obi-Wan's. Bruck constantly harassed Obi-Wan about becoming a farmer instead of a padawan. The two were constantly paired in light saber practice and Bruck always attacked with the ferocity of his anger, while Obi-Wan had tried to keep his in check…not always succeeding. He was also the source of the nickname Oafy-Wan as he ragged Obi-Wan about his presumed clumsiness on the training floor.

Bruck also was responsible for Obi-Wan almost being dismissed from the Jedi temple short of his birthday. After Yoda had supervised saber training for the two a day before Qui-Gon was to visit the temple, supposedly looking for a padawan, Bruck had taunted Obi-Wan enough to draw him into another session…unsupervised. The two had fought to the point of exhaustion and both had sustained minor injuries and burns. However, the tormentor had taken advantage of the fact that there were no witnesses to the sparring match and had gone to the healers, feigning greater injuries that he actually had. Bruck had told the medics that Obi-Wan was responsible and the next day Obi-Wan was notified he was being sent to Bandomeer instead of being allowed to fight for Qui-Gon because of his behavior. Luckily for Obi-Wan a training droid had seen the fight and informed the Jedi council that Bruck had started it.

The apprentice had long put Bruck out of his mind. He stood and stared for a moment as if he had seen a ghost, for in fact that was what Bruck had become to him—just an image of a nightmare that had faded with time.

"What's the matter, Oafy-Wan? Don't you remember me? I remember you. I remember you well." Bruck stalked slowly toward the padawan as his eyes burned with anger. "I remember how you cheated me out of my chance to become a padawan."

"That wasn't my fault, Bruck," Obi-Wan replied smoothly. "That was your fault. You never were able to control your anger. You couldn't have become a padawan. You made the choices that led to what you became."

Bruck was now close enough for Obi-Wan to see his face. It was the same face he remembered…older, of course…but the same features, the same angry eyes that glared at the world. The apprentice knew his former tormentor was his same age, but his face was chiseled with lines at the corners of his eyes and about his mouth.

"Surprised?" Bruck asked as he circled the padawan. "I knew you would be. Most people don't know how old I am and they think I lie about my age. But you know how old I am, don't you. I've had a hard life since I left the temple. A hard one. All because of you." Bruck came to a halt directly in front of Obi-Wan. He looked up and down at the Jedi outfit. "You think you're so great now, don't you? Padawan to the almighty Qui-Gon Jinn…a place _I_ was entitled to." Backing away a few steps he chuckled. "So, someone found the little 'repair job' I did on your speeder, eh? Well, I knew it was a risk…but one I was willing to take." Suddenly his tone softened and he almost sounded friendly. "I couldn't believe it that day you came walking into the garage a couple weeks ago. My old friend, Oafy-Wan, here in the colony. What would pull us together again after all these years? The Force? Yes, you would say that, wouldn't you? The will of the Force Master Qui-Gon would say," Bruck made a mock bow.

"You see, I'm one of the mechanics in speeder maintenance. It took all of two or three minutes to clip that wire and insert that circuit interrupter. And then it was so easy to guide the stupid bureaucrat to that particular speeder. All I had to say was that the others were being repaired. He was even a bigger fool than you," Bruck laughed as he walked back and forth in front of the padawan. Obi-Wan didn't interrupt. He wanted to know, for his own peace of mind if nothing else, what had happened to that speeder. He simply let the former bully rant and rave about his imagined genius.

"And when you and Qui-Gon showed up here to try to piece together what happened, I found out. Nothing is secret in this hole in an asteroid. I knew that I had succeeded in hurting you. Too bad Master was able to find you and help you remember. Too bad indeed. I rather fancy the idea of you wandering in the heat, banged up and not remembering who you are. I wonder how far you would have gotten on your own," Bruck rubbed his chin as he stole a glance at the apprentice. "I guess we'll never know now, will we? But enough reminiscing. It's been fun strolling down memory lane with you…but that's not what I lured you out here for."

"What did you lure me out here for then?" Obi-Wan questioned calmly.

"For the same thing I hoped to accomplish with the speeder crash." Bruck shook his head. "Those speeders have always been unreliable. I should have expected it to perform no better for me." Bruck came to a standstill just in front of Obi-Wan and the hate returned to his dark eyes. "You took what was rightfully mine. I should have been a padawan. I'm living in this hellhole instead…all because of you. You will pay." In a swift smooth move Bruck drew a light saber and ignited it. The blade glowed bright red. "Yes, I kept my light saber when I left the temple. What did I turn in? A useless handle. I doubt those trusting fools ever even checked to see if it was a working light saber. But now…no more of those low power sparring matches like Master Yoda used to oversee. Now it's the real thing." Bruck lunged at Obi-Wan.

The apprentice executed a summersault over Bruck's head, simultaneously withdrawing and igniting his own light saber. He came down in a defensive stance.

"Oh, very good Oafy-Wan. Not bad for such a klutz. What else can you do?" Bruck lunged again. Obi-Wan blocked the blow easily and side stepped. Bruck turned and attacked again instantly. Again the blow was easily deflected. It began to dawn on Obi-Wan. _He hasn't fought a light saber duel since we sparred at the temple. He is still fighting at the skill level he had then._

Suddenly a tall figure stepped into the small area of light where the combatants were. "What's going on here?" Qui-Gon asked, clearly surprised to see someone else wielding a light saber.

"Oh, Master Qui-Gon Jinn," Bruck executed an exaggerated bow. "I should have known you would have to come rescue Oafy-Wan. He can't take care of himself—he never could."

The nickname registered in Qui-Gon's mind and he remembered the stories his apprentice had told him about his encounters with Bruck at the temple. And the light dawned for him too. "Bruck. Are you the one who put that circuit interrupter in the speeder?"

"Brilliant, Master," Bruck said sarcastically. "You really are as smart as everyone says. If you are so smart, why did you pick such a dunce for a padawan?"

"Come on," Qui-Gon replied. "This is over. Let's go back and…"

"No!" Bruck exclaimed. "I should have been your padawan. Thanks to both of you—look at this miserable life I live. You'll both pay." He dove toward Qui-Gon who easily sidestepped his charge. Then Bruck turned again on Obi-Wan and began hacking at him with the saber…just hammering away again and again. All Obi-Wan had to do was hold his light saber up to block the repetitive blows.

"Come on, Bruck. You haven't trained in years. You can't win. Just give it up," Obi-Wan said calmly.

"No! No! You won't win against me again. I won't let you!" Bruck turned and ran toward the trees. Obi-Wan started to give chase, but Qui-Gon grasped his arm. "Let him go, Padawan."

"But, Master…"

"I know, Obi-Wan. He's guilty of a crime. But chasing after a crazed, armed man in a dark forest is not a smart thing to do. He can't go far. It's too far to the next colony. He'll have to come back. We'll look for him in the day light."

"But the Force will guide us in the dark."

"Yes, it can, Padawan…but will it guide you in the darkness of your soul? You still have strong feelings about Bruck. You have to let that go. We'll go after him when we can do it with clear heads and hearts. Let it go for right now."

Obi-Wan had to admit Master Qui-Gon was right. He thought he had been over Bruck's torment…but he realized some bitterness still burned in his soul. He had to come to terms with that. The apprentice allowed himself to be led back to their quarters for the night.

Early the next morning Obi-Wan was awake and ready to look for Bruck. The feeling was not anger now; it was a desire for closure…for this whole episode to be over. He had submitted his feelings to the Force last night and allowed its calm and healing peace to flow through him. It showed him that Bruck was a person of much anger and that he could become that way if he didn't let go of the past. Obi-Wan supposed he could identify with some of what his tormentor felt. He remembered how he felt when he thought that he was not going to become a padawan. It was hard not to be angry and bitter. One of the hardest battles he'd fought in his short life…hard for a not yet emotionally mature thirteen-year-old to face. It was difficult enough for him—what had it been like for Bruck? The young boy Obi-Wan remembered was a very angry person, and he didn't do much to try to overcome his feelings. He let his rage rule him. That's why he had not become a padawan, Obi-Wan was sure of that. With that much underlying anger already in his soul, how much would being passed over add to that?

The more the apprentice thought about it, the more he felt sorry for Bruck. It was too bad that someone who had been good with a light saber and adept at the Force was letting his abilities go unused because he was unable to govern his passions. In control and properly trained, Obi-Wan imagined Bruck would have become a capable Jedi. Seeing the situation in this light, it was easier for the padawan to overcome his feelings toward his competitor. Having come to this healing of his spirit, Obi-Wan wished to put the entire thing to rest by finding Bruck and ending the whole affair.

Master Qui-Gon could sense the new peace in his padawan and was pleased. Now he knew they could complete their mission without Obi-Wan having to face distracting temptations from the dark side. "First, let's find out if Bruck has returned during the night. I suspect he has. He ran off with nothing. It's a long trip to the next colony. He couldn't make it on foot without supplies."

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan agreed.

Since Mare was the only person Qui-Gon felt he could trust, they went to his home first. The elder Jedi explained the confrontation to their accomplice and asked for his help in determining if Bruck had returned. From experience he knew that his efforts to gain information would bear little fruit among the paranoid population of the colony.

"Should be easy enough to find out," Mare told them. "First I'll see if he has shown up for work. If not…well, I know all his favorite hangouts and this is a small outpost. If he's here we should be able to find him." Mare paused and thought for a moment. "There's only one problem. Rook, or Bruck you say his real name is, has a lot of friends here. If they know you two are looking for him, they'll protect him. If might be better if you let me go on my own."

"I tend to agree with you," Qui-Gon replied. "We will be at the north end of the colony, where the confrontation took place, when you are ready to tell us what you find out."

Mare nodded and started off toward the speeder maintenance shed. The two Jedi watched him walk away for a moment, then Obi-Wan spoke up, "Master, why are we going there?"

"For a look around, Padawan. Since we will be doing nothing in the colony, we can begin searching outside the colony."

In the middle of the afternoon Master Qui-Gon activated his comm link. "Obi-Wan?"

"Yes Master."

"Let's meet back at the colony. Mare may be waiting for us there. Have you found anything?"

"No, Master. No trace that he's been this way. And you?"

"Nothing here either. See you at the colony."

"Yes, Master."

Obi-Wan reached the edge of the treed area first. He looked around for Mare and didn't see him. He sat under a tree while waiting for Qui-Gon to rendezvous with him. Shortly there was a crunching noise—boots coming down on limbs and dried leaves. Obi-Wan sensed his master and rose to meet him.

"Have you seen Mare?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Here I am," came the answer.

"What have you found out?"

Mare shrugged his shoulders, "Nothing. No one has seen him since last night at the pub."

"Can you be sure they aren't just protecting him?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Well, not a hundred percent sure. I tried to put on a good show…that his job depended on him showing up today. I hoped that would encourage them to want to pull his butt out of the fire. He's in enough trouble at work. One more screw up and he was going to be terminated." Mare held his hands out in surrender, "I did the best I could. Nothing more I could do."

"That's good enough," Qui-Gon replied.

"So you found nothing either?'

"Not a thing."

After a week of looking and waiting, Mare and the two Jedi still had not seen or heard anything of Bruck. Although he considered it unlikely, Qui-Gon contacted the next colony to see if the runaway had shown up there. As he expected he received a negative answer. They had scoured the areas around the colony. No sign of him. His friends continued their insistence of no knowledge of his whereabouts.

Qui-Gon had informed the governor of Bruck and his admission and his disappearance. Security forces were extra vigilant in their patrols. A guard had been assigned to watch his quarters around the clock. No one had seen anything even remotely resembling the errant man.

"He can't have disappeared into thin air, Master," Obi-Wan said in frustration.

"No, Padawan. He can't. However, I am at a loss to explain what has become of him. We are near to exhausting all resources."

"Master, someone must be protecting him—hiding him. Remember the rock thrower who lured me to the edge of the colony that night? He knows something about what was going on. He must be the one hiding Bruck."

"I agree with you. As you say he can't have disappeared. I do think he is in hiding. We have no idea where though. He has not been seen around the colony. Maybe that's why he was so quick to take off away from the colony; he knew someone had a hiding place set up for him."

"But there's so much suspicion here. Are you sure we can trust these people to be honest with us?"

"We've been through that before Obi-Wan. We don't have the ability to do everything ourselves. We are going to have to rely on them…especially now."

Obi-Wan's brow wrinkled into confusion, "What do you mean, Master?"

Qui-Gon sighed knowing his apprentice would not like this news. "We have been recalled by the Jedi council. If we had something to show for our efforts we would be allowed to stay and continue the investigation. However, we are getting nowhere with it, therefore, they wish us to return to Coruscant for reassignment. The security forces here will continue to look for Bruck."

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to reply, but his master held up his hand to forestall it. "I know you are not happy about that Obi-Wan, but it is logical. You must go forward and put this behind you. If Bruck has tried to travel on foot, no supplies and no transportation…then he will pay the penalty for it. If he is still here, the security forces will find him. If you are realistic you will see this is the right thing to do."

Obi-Wan began a reply, stopped, thought for a moment. Then he dropped his gaze to the ground and said simply, "Yes Master."

Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Mare were standing near the transport that would take them back to Coruscant—by way of Baroon. Governor Ros had come to bid them farewell.

"You have done a great service, Mare. While most people here are so apathetic, you were willing to go against that and your own anxiety of retribution to help bring this sabotage and attempted murder to light. It is my great privilege to have helped you get permission to return to Baroon. And thank you Master Qui-Gon for bringing it to my attention."

"I told you I wouldn't leave you in jeopardy," Qui-Gon said to Mare. Then he turned to Ros, "I thank you, Governor, for all your help while we were here…and mostly for acting on Mare's behalf. You will keep us up to date on the search?"

"Oh, most certainly. Some of my faith has been restored in my people. I have you to thank for that." To Obi-Wan he said, "I assure you we will not give up the investigation after you leave. If Bruck is to be found, we will find him."

"Thank you Governor. I appreciate your efforts," Obi-Wan replied with a bow.

The Jedi and their passenger turned to go up the ramp into their transport. Ros stood and watched as the ship took off and soon became a small dot then was lost to his sight. "May the Force be with you."

Acknowledgement: To my husband, Steve, the electrical engineer for making sure my circuit analysis was correct.


End file.
